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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805546">Afterglow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMadWoman/pseuds/MissMadWoman'>MissMadWoman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lover One Shots [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>High School Story (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Not Beta Read, Song: Afterglow (Taylor Swift), does grammarly count as a beta?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:27:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMadWoman/pseuds/MissMadWoman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sequel to Cruel Summer. Inspired by Afterglow. Aiden does everything he can to get Emma back.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emma Hawkins/Aiden Zhou, Michael Harrison/Main Character (High School Story: Original Trilogy)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lover One Shots [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Afterglow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/eleanorbloom/gifts">eleanorbloom</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/radishphilosophy/gifts">rulesofthebeneath (radishphilosophy)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to eleanorbloom for commenting, that got me off my ass to finally write this. Im calling this an early Christmas present for rulesofthebeneath.<br/>Hope you enjoy this and I did the characters justice. Also, I know that Afterglow isn't the next song in the album but it just fits as a sequel to Cruel Summer so well. Sorry if anyone was expecting me to go in chronological order cause that is not happening anymore.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He made up his mind. He would do everything he could to convince Emma to get back together with him.</p><p>That was easier said than done, as Aiden would come to realise. It took him a whole week before he managed to work up the courage to ask Hermione to meet him for Coffee so he could ask her opinion on how to go about getting Emma back. </p><p>It didn't help his case that rather than it just being Hermione, Michael was also with her. Telling Hermione what happened was nerve-wracking enough, especially since Aiden was pretty sure Emma had told Hermione the full truth about the summer. Having Michael there made everything much scarier since Michael and Hermione had gotten together, it was not unusual to see Emma and Michael around. It was common knowledge in their group that if Michael and Hermione were fighting, then Michael would be getting advice from Emma on how to apologise.</p><p>Michael was always talking about how Emma was like the annoying little sister he didn’t have. Aiden asked Emma about their relationship when they were together. Emma was quite happy to tell him, that they had a sibling bond, she was delighted that Michael and Hermione were together. Even if Michael called her his annoying little sister, she knew he very much loved it as much as she loved being his annoying little sister.</p><p>Aiden waved at the couple, beckoning them to the table he had taken in the Coffee Shop, thankfully it was not that busy, so it didn’t take much for Michael to get another chair and join them. </p><p>“For the record, I am not here cause I don’t trust my girlfriend having Coffee with another guy but I am here to be the voice of Emmie,” Michael said the minute he sat down, he continued to glare at Aiden even after Hermione punched his arm for what he said.</p><p>Hermione rolled her eyes, “Just because I say I ship them together Mike does not mean I’m not thinking about Emma first rather than Aiden” She looked at Aiden shrugging in apology about admitting that she didn’t care about Aiden in this situation. </p><p>Aiden nodded. “Understandable, I just want to say that I regret what happened. I should’ve admitted to being in love with Emma and agreed to be with her once school started.” Phew, the hardest part was out, he had admitted his feelings for Emma to her best friend and pseudo brother. Things could only go up from here. </p><p>Michael scoffed at what Aiden said, while he didn’t dislike the guy, he knew how hurt Emma was by everything and just admitting his feelings to Hermione and himself was the least Aiden could do, it was what he did after this that mattered in Michael’s opinion. </p><p>“Well as nice as it is to know that Aiden, we’re more interested in what you’re going to do next to I assume get Emma back?” Hermione asked. Emma had been through enough this summer with Aiden and Hermione did not want a repeat of that, with Aiden being indecisive with his feelings. </p><p>A valid question to ask, but that just made Aiden more nervous. He started to fidget with the napkin on the table. Generally, Aiden had a plan, he knew how to go about getting what he wanted. Emma on the other hand was not someone he thought he would ever fall for. While most people thought that they were quite similar, it was the opposite. Emma, though she was shy like him, apart from that. Emma was the opposite of Aiden in every way and that was what he wanted back in his life.</p><p>As the cliché, he didn’t realise what he had in his relationship with Emma until he lost it. </p><p>Seeing Aiden start fidgeting Hermione softened. He seriously wanted Emma back. She could work with this, even if Michael were against it. At the end of the day, it was Emma’s decision and Hermione knew that Emma still loved Aiden. It would just take a lot from Aiden to get her back. </p><p>“Okay, we’ll help you get Emma back Aiden,” Hermione said smiling at Aiden who looked up from fidgeting with the napkin on the table with a relieved smile. Hermione’s help would be invaluable in getting Emma to agree to take him back.</p><p>Michael sighed hearing his girlfriend’s words. She was a hopeless romantic and matchmaker at heart, even if on the way to this Café they had agreed that they would be hard on Aiden, make him sweat a bit. His girlfriend on the first sight of Aiden being nervous caved into helping him. Honestly, it surprised Michael that Hermione had people in school who weren’t in their group convinced that she was some Queen Bee of the school and not an utterly soft teddy bear who just wanted everyone to be happy. </p><p>“Thank you so much, Hermione, I’ll forever be in your debt,” Aiden said excitedly, he could see the end coming, even if Emma did not take him back. She had every right, not to after his stupidity but with Hermione on his side, he knew he had a better chance of convincing Emma that he was serious in wanting them back together. </p><p>The three of them sat there for the next few hours plotting and planning how Aiden would get Emma back.</p><hr/><p>Emma knew Hermione and Michael were keeping secrets from her, the minute they wouldn’t tell her where they had disappeared to after Cheerleading and Football practice yesterday. Even if it was a date, they always told Emma beforehand, so she knew to get a ride home with someone else. They didn’t just tell her on the way to practice that they wouldn’t be able to take her home with them because they had something to do.</p><p>Though she had planned on being angry with them, they had brought her breakfast and coffee this morning, so they were forgiven, at least until Emma found out why they had ditched her yesterday. It was also suspicious that they had run off today as well, leaving Emma without a ride home.</p><p>What was even weirder was that none of her other friends could give her a ride home, so with that in mind at the end of the day Emma went to the library to get some homework done before she left for her lonely walk home.</p><p>After leaving the library, Emma went to put books back in her locker. Opening her locker, Emma was surprised to see a small bouquet of purple flowers there with a note. Looking around, Emma saw Aiden standing at the end of the hallway looking right at her.</p><p>That confused her. As far as she knew everyone, she knew had left. Not to mention that after what happened in the Summer, Emma had almost gone out of her way to avoid Aiden in school and every group hang out that happened, she stuck to Hermione or Michael or just about anyone but Aiden in their group hangouts.</p><p>Yes, she might still love him, but he wasn’t on the same page as her then and it was easier to avoid him in Emma’s opinion.</p><p>Picking up the note to read it:</p><p>
  <em>Hi Emma, from my research these Purple Hyacinths are given to someone when you want them to forgive you. I want to say sorry for the pain I put you through by not being brave enough to be with you in school. I want to say I’m sorry that I hurt you. I want to say sorry for not saying I love you back to you and I want to say sorry for it taking me so long to admit my feelings and try to get you back. </em>
  <br/>
  <em>Love, Aiden.</em>
</p><p>Emma had tears in her eyes. This was the sweetest note she had ever got. She didn’t know how to respond, she looked up at the end of the hallway where Aiden was standing. He wasn’t there. That was weird, he had been there literally a few seconds ago.</p><p>Emma felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned around to see Aiden holding a Teddy Bear in his hands. He gave her a sheepish smile, extending the Teddy Bear to her. </p><p>“The note, flowers and this Teddy Bear are just the beginning, Emma. I love you and I am not afraid to be with you, I know you’re probably still hurt from what happened and that’s why I’m forever going to apologise for that. I was horrible and don’t deserve your forgiveness or you for that matter, but I am also selfish in that I want you to get back together with me and be my girlfriend again please.” By the time Aiden had finished his little speech, Emma was full-on crying and Aiden was just in shock, out of all the reactions he thought Emma might have, him getting slapped was one but not Emma crying. </p><p>Taking a few deep breaths and wiping the tears, Emma looked up at Aiden. In any other situation, she would’ve laughed at his shocked expression, now however she has her confession to make. </p><p>“I love you too Aiden and yeah I’ll be your girlfriend again,” Emma said smiling, Aiden was still in shock from his expression or he was processing what she had just said. This was the guy she loved; Emma regretted nothing. They’d be telling their story to others of how they broke up but got back together. </p><p>“Just kiss her already idiot” Myra shouted from her hiding place. Making both Emma and Aiden turn to where she had been hiding behind a trashcan. Myra sheepishly raised her hand to wave at the couple.</p><p>Emma laughed before looking at Aiden, nodding her head at him. Taking this as permission, Aiden bent down to kiss Emma on the lips. Trying to pour all the feelings he had into that one kiss, it started sweet but the passion got to them and Aiden wrapped his arm around Emma’s waist and pulled her into his chest while Emma let the Teddy Bear and note she was holding fall to the floor so she could wrap her arms around Aiden’s neck pulling him closer to her as well. </p><p>“Oi, Aiden stop kissing my sister!” Michael shouted from his hiding spot. Moving closer to the couple to break them apart. Only to be stopped by Hermione, holding him back and shaking her head at him. <br/>“Let them have their moment, Mike. It's only fair considering the times we’ve made out in front of Emma”</p><p>Hermione said laughing when she looked back at the couple to see Emma hiding her face in Aiden’s chest out of embarrassment that she had made out with her boyfriend in front of her friends. </p><p>“Uh, I’m not looking up but is our whole group around us” Emma mumbled into Aiden’s chest, not wanting to look up and see the faces of all her friends. Aiden laughed but before he could Michael replied. </p><p>“Yeah, I now need to go bleach my eyes. Next time don’t make out in front of me please, yeah. Also, Emmie, I’m never giving you a ride home since you’ve got your driver now” Michael said laughing at Aiden’s face at being called Emma’s driver. </p><p>“Eh, I’ll happily be Ems driver Mike,” Aiden said to Michael who was now closer to the couple and punched Aiden in the arm. </p><p>“How many times, only Hermione calls me Mike, none of you idiots are allowed to call me that,” Michael said pretending to be annoyed with Aiden. He knew Aiden was teasing but as Emma’s brother, Aiden should be afraid of Michael and he will make sure that Aiden is afraid of him. </p><p>Emma and Hermione just rolled their eyes together, at Michaels remark. Both of them knew what Michael was doing by saying what he did, while Hermione thought it was cute in a roundabout way and Emma agreed, Emma knew she would have to have a talk with Michael about trying to intimidate Aiden. </p><p>“Now that they’ve gotten their happily ever after, can we please go get food, I’m starving here” Caleb moaned, he was already near the school doors. Ready to go and get something to eat. </p><p>Everyone laughed and started making their way to go to the Golden Griddle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment or kudos. Thanks. Have a good day wherever you are...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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